ETHICON LAUNCHES NEXT GENERATION ECHELON™ 3000 STAPLER DESIGNED FOR EXCEPTIONAL ACCESS AND CONTROL

Highly Anticipated Stapler Offers Greatest Articulation Span and Widest Jaw Aperture Among Leading Handheld Staplers^1,2

CINCINNATI, OH – JUNE 6, 2022 – Ethicon*, part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech**, today announced the U.S. launch of the ECHELON 3000 Stapler, a digitally enabled device that provides surgeons with simple, one-handed powered articulation to help address the unique needs of their patients. Designed with 39% greater jaw aperture and a 27% greater articulation span,^3,4 ECHELON 3000 gives surgeons better access and control over each transection, even in tight spaces and on challenging tissue.^5,6 These features combined with software that provides real-time haptic and audible device feedback enable surgeons to make critical adjustments during procedures.

“Surgical complications often stem from difficult-to-access anatomy and compromised tissue, which this next generation ECHELON stapler is specifically designed to address,” said Tom O’Brien, Worldwide President, Endomechanical, Ethicon, Inc. “Our goal, with ECHELON 3000, is to arm surgeons with a device that helps address the root causes of surgical complications, enabling them to successfully navigate the differing needs of each patient’s anatomy, deliver on their preoperative plans and ultimately make a meaningful difference in patient outcomes.”

“The ECHELON 3000 has the flexibility that we as surgeons have long craved in a surgical stapler – with greater articulation for better access to tissue in tight spaces, such as the thoracic cavity,” said Zane Hammoud, MD, FACS***, Chief of General Thoracic Surgery at Ascension Providence Hospital System. “As a thoracic surgeon, these new enhancements to a trusted device may allow for a more seamless and efficient surgical experience.”

ECHELON 3000 builds upon the ECHELON™+ Stapler with GST Reloads, bringing forward the same capabilities in advancing staple line security and delivering fewer leakage pathways at the staple line, even in challenging conditions compared to the Medtronic Signia™ Stapling System.^7,8 While it can be used in a wide range of surgical procedures, it was designed to be used in thoracic, colorectal, and bariatric/gastric laparoscopic procedures where improvements in device access and control can make a meaningful difference: 

• VATS Segmentectomy | Improved access in the tight thoracic cavity and a wider jaw aperture to place thick, variable lung tissue more easily within the jaws⁹
• Low Anterior Resection | Better access and angle of approach in the tight pelvis region to increase the likelihood of transecting the colon in a single firing^9,10
• Sleeve Gastrectomy | Easier to control the shape of the gastric sleeve from the first firing to the last with one-handed powered articulation and the ability to set the jaws to any point within the articulation span¹¹

“Greater jaw aperture, powered articulation and articulation within a shortened distance are all incredibly valuable assets that make an already beneficial stapler, even better,” said Joe Northup, MD, FACS****, Bariatric Surgeon at BMI Surgery, Past-Chair, ASMBS Access to Care Committee and ASMBS Executive Council. “Having placed the ECHELON+ stapler in my hand already, it feels natural and familiar to transition right into this new device.”

Ethicon partners with hospitals, surgeons, and surgical staff to capture the learnings gained from performing countless procedures to address unmet clinical needs and deliver on the transformative promise of digital surgery. Our latest technologies and state-of-the-art training connect the vast knowledge, resourcefulness, and deep experience across the continuum of care for more informed decision making and better connectivity on behalf of patients pre- and post-operatively.

For more information about the ECHELON 3000 stapler, visit www.ethicon.com/echelon3000.

About ECHELON 3000 Staplers
ECHELON 3000 45mm and 60mm Staplers are sterile, single-patient-use instruments that simultaneously cut and staple tissue. There are six staggered rows of staples, three on either side of the cut line. The shaft can rotate 360⁰ and an articulation mechanism enables the distal portion of the shaft to pivot to facilitate lateral access to the operative site. The devices include both powered firing and powered articulation.

The ECHELON 3000 Staplers are intended for transection, resection, and/or creation of anastomoses and are compatible with GST reloads, which are associated with reduced complications in compromised tissue. The instruments have application in multiple open or minimally invasive general, urologic, thoracic, and pediatric surgical procedures. They can be used with staple line or tissue reinforcement materials. The instruments may also be used for transection and resection of liver parenchyma (hepatic vasculature and biliary structures), pancreas, kidney, and spleen.

About Ethicon
At Ethicon, a Johnson & Johnson MedTech company, putting humanity at the core of care is our passion and our purpose. In collaboration with clinicians and health care experts around the world, we develop clinically-differentiated surgical technologies and solutions to help address some of the most pressing health challenges of our time such as metabolic disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Through our efforts and ingenuity, we aspire to elevate standards of care and create a healthier future for the patients of today and tomorrow. Visit www.ethicon.com to learn more about us.

About Johnson & Johnson MedTech
At Johnson & Johnson MedTech, we unleash diverse healthcare expertise, purposeful technology, and a passion for people to transform the future of medical intervention and empower everyone to live their best life possible. For more than a century, we have driven breakthrough scientific innovation to address unmet needs and reimagine health. In surgery, orthopaedics, vision, and interventional solutions, we continue to help save lives and create a future where healthcare solutions are smarter, less invasive, and more personalized.

Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding the ECHELON 3000 Stapler. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Ethicon, Inc., any of the other Johnson & Johnson MedTech Companies and/or Johnson & Johnson.  Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: uncertainty of regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; challenges to patents; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; manufacturing difficulties and delays; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2022, including in the sections captioned “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors,” and in Johnson & Johnson’s subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. Neither Ethicon, Inc., the Johnson & Johnson MedTech Companies nor Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments. 

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*Ethicon represents the products and services of Ethicon, Inc., Ethicon Endo-Surgery, LLC and certain of their affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

**Johnson & Johnson MedTech comprise the surgery, orthopedics, vision and interventional solutions businesses within Johnson & Johnson’s MedTech segment.
***Dr. Zane Hammoud is a paid consultant for Ethicon. He has not been compensated for any media work.
****Dr. Joe Northup is a paid consultant for Ethicon. He has not been compensated for any media work.

¹ Comparison of average maximum articulation angles between the ECHELON™ 3000 Stapler, ECHELON+ Stapler, and Medtronic Signia™ Stapling System. (201020-220112)
² Comparison of average jaw aperture between the ECHELON™ 3000 Stapler, ECHELON+ Stapler, and Medtronic Signia™ Stapling System. (201021-220112)
³ Comparison of average jaw aperture for ECHELON™ 3000 Stapler 60mm (22.79mm) vs. Medtronic Signia™ Stapling System 60mm (16.38mm), p<0.001 (202186-220126)
⁴ Comparison of average maximum articulation angle for ECHELON™ 3000 60mm Stapler (56.51°) vs. Medtronic Signia™ Stapling System 60mm (44.56°), p<0.05. (201022-220112)
⁵ Comparison of average maximum articulation span and jaw aperture between the ECHELON™ 3000 Stapler, ECHELON+ Stapler, and Medtronic Signia™ Stapling System completed in 2022. (202654-220202)
⁶ Comparison of maximum average articulation span and maximum jaw aperture between the ECHELON™ 3000 Stapler, ECHELON+ Stapler, and Medtronic Signia™ Stapling System, p-value < 0.001. Maximum average jaw aperture: 22.79mm; 17.11mm; 16.35mm respectively. Challenging tissue - varying thickness and density. (205778-220309)
⁷ (153900-200923)
⁸ Benchtop testing in porcine tissue ≤ 30mmHg (26mmHG average pressure experienced during intra-operative leak test), comparing Ethicon ECHELON+ Stapler PSEE60A with GST Reloads GST60B to Medtronic Signia Stapler with Tri-Staple Reloads EGIA60AMT. Cumulative number of leaked tests (0/30) & (7/30) respectively, n=30 p < 0.05. (149513-200811)
⁹ Comparison of maximum average articulation span between the ECHELON™ 3000 Stapler, ECHELON+ Stapler, and Medtronic Signia™ Stapling System, p-value < 0.001. Maximum average articulation: 56.95°; 43.92°; 45.87° respectively. (205777-220309)
¹⁰ Ethicon Comparison of Device Placement in LAR Model. 3/22/2021. Windchill #500677246
¹¹ (203806-220216)

For complete indications, contraindications, warnings, precautions, and adverse reactions, please reference full package insert.
The third-party trademarks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners.
©Ethicon US, LLC. 2022. All Rights Reserved. 209962-220418

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